Disclosure Details

Forensics - 787/12

Provision of information held by Northumbria Police made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the 'Act')(FOIA)

Thank you for your email dated 9 October 2012 in which you made a request for access to certain information which may be held by Northumbria Police.

As you may be aware the purpose of the Act is to allow a general right of access to information held by a Public Authority (including the Police), subject to certain limitations and exemptions.

You asked:

Does your force aim to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 for police forensic laboratory activities? If so, by what date?

Have you applied to UKAS for this, and if so, on what date?

Have you been subject to any costs so far associated with accreditation, and if so, how much?

Do you also aim to be accredited to ISO/IEC 17020 for inspecting crime scenes? If so, by what date, and at what maximum cost?

If you instead outsource these services, please name the provider(s) you use and the monthly cost so far this year?

In response:

We have now had the opportunity to fully consider your request and I provide a response for your attention.

Following receipt of your request, searches were conducted with the Crime Department of Northumbria Police. I can confirm that the information you have requested is held by Northumbria Police.

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you as follows.

Yes will be seeking accreditation by Nov 2013 for DNA recovery facilities.

No

No

Yes however no costs have been calculated, and no date has been set.

N/A

The information we have supplied to you is likely to contain intellectual property rights of Northumbria Police. Your use of the information must be strictly in accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) or such other applicable legislation. In particular, you must not re-use this information for any commercial purpose.

If you are still unhappy after we have investigated your complaint and reported to you the outcome, you may complain directly to the Information Commissioner’s Office and request that they investigate to ascertain whether we have dealt with your request in accordance with the Act.